Thursday, 23 February 2017

Tonight Indiestad created a dilemma for me: go see Tim Darcy in Cinetol or Audacity and Cosmonauts in Bitterzoet. I decided to try both which means I have to go see Tim Darcy first and then rush myself to Bitterzoet afterwards. Unfortunately this means I won't be able to see Audacity who are supporting Cosmonauts and will start too early, which is a real shame since I love that band. Still, two out of three isn't bad for tonight.

A few years ago Ought blew me away the first time I saw them and again after hearing their LP Sun Coming Down that ended up at my end of the year list. Now the group’s singer has released an intriguing solo album Saturday Night which he presents tonight. Darcy asks who came here because of Ought and who came to see him because of his solo project. It's an honest question since many people here tonight haven't heard his solo record yet.

Live the songs sound a lot like on the record except some of the more rocking songs have been tuned down a bit. Together with the two ladies in his band he creates an atmospheric environment for his songs. His pleasant voice floats reminds of Roy Orbison. Although it’s not always in tune, it definitely is fascinating watching him sing. With his head tilted a bit, staring in the distance Darcy is able to keep everyone interested. It may not be as mind blowing as Ought but it sure is fulfilling.

I race my bike through the rain across the city and make it to Bitterzoet in a short while. There Cosmonauts have just started there set. Things get a little more rough here than earlier tonight at Cinetol. These guys have an amazing sound, kind of like a mix of The Stone Roses and Sonic Youth. The way the two guitars blend into each other with a lot of effects is very clever. Alexander Ahmadi and Derek Cowart take turns singing with Cowart doing most of the vocals.

Their set is high on mid tempo psychedelic songs that create a spacy atmosphere. Now and then they pick it up a few notches and knock out a powerful rocker. Their set could have used a few more to keep everyone on their toes. I can see these guys filling larger venues with this overwhelming sound, especially if they can keep up their down to earth appearance.